


Sometimes Ghost Stories Are Just That

by Mysenia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Peter, BAMF Stiles, Full Shift Werewolves, M/M, Magic, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, Spark Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-07 20:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5469200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysenia/pseuds/Mysenia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never judge a book by it's cover comes very literally when clients meet Peter and Stiles for the first time. They may seem silly and soft, but on the job they are all business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And Sometimes They Aren't

**Author's Note:**

> For dessythings on Tumblr, my second Steter Secret Santa. I hope you enjoy this and have a Merry Christmas!

Gary did not really want to go up to the front door and knock.

The house was Victorian in build but with an air of light to it that was often not found surrounding such homes. It belied what Gary knew he would find once he stepped foot into the home.

The reputation of the two beings dwelling in the home preceded them in whispers and fear induced shudders. One did not approach them without reasonable cause and a full wallet, along with a special gift or two as a token of appreciation for even deigning to meet.

Gary had such gifts with him; a first edition tome on supernatural lore, and a pouch full of orris root. He could only hope that they were sufficient enough to entice the two into helping him. 

He stepped up to, and walked through, the trestle that was overgrown with rose vines. It was beautiful, with at least 5 different types of roses, but the thorns were very much present as Gary found out when one nicked his right ear.

He cursed and grabbed for his ear, rubbing at it a moment before pulling his hand away and seeing blood. Typical.

Walking up the path, Gary noted that the gardens were well tended and herbs were blooming in abundance. He hoped that the orris root was something new to add to the garden.

Walking up the porch steps seemed somehow more momentous, as if once he reach the door there would be no turning back. Gary took a deep breath before taking the last step up and then decided to jump up the last bit, rid himself of the temptation to turn around.

It was three strides to the door and Gary took them purposefully, head held high. He needed these two, there was no backing out.

He picked up the knocker, a big brass wolf head - Gary tried not to look at it too closely for fear of seeing eyes looking back - and banged it three times against the door. It was loud even to his ears and he tried not to wince as the sound rang throughout the interior of the house.

“The Sirs will be with you in a moment.”

Gary jumped back in fright and stared at the knocker. The wolf head winked at him.

_I fucking knew it. Damn it, I’m going to piss my pants! No you’re not Gary, you are stronger than that. You are here for a reason. You will face-_

Gary’s internal debate was cut off when the door opened. Standing before him was a man, younger than himself, with amber eyes and moles speckling his face and arms - this was Stiles.

“Dude! Come on in! The sun may be out but that wind sure does cut through the clothes, doesn’t it?” Stiles said, stepping back and ushering Gary into the house.

Gary was stunned by the exuberance of the young man, Stiles, feared the world over for his magical feats and famous for his callous and uncaring attitude. Gary very deliberately did not gulp and stepped over the threshold.

Nothing outwardly happened, at least from what Gary could see, but it suddenly felt like his every secret was bared to the house. Almost as if a barrier in his brain had been removed. He glanced sharply at the young man but found a smile instead of a nasty smirk aimed at him, and relaxed.

“I’m Stiles.” 

Gary blinked stupidly at the proffered hand before it clicked and he flushed. “Oh right, sorry. I’m Gary, it’s nice to meet you Stiles.”

“Likewise. Now if you could take off your shoes, that would be great. Peter hates when people walk through the house with shoes on.” Stiles said as he gestured to a mat off to the side where other shoes were lined up.

Gary could not help looking at the shoes that were on Stiles’ feet and he felt mortified when Stiles caught his eye. He quickly bent to take off his shoes as Stiles laughed.

“Yes, well, Peter cannot stop me from wearing shoes. Besides he hates it when I complain of cold feet and since our house is all wood floors, he had to cave to me wearing my shoes in the house. Though he did offer to make me some real rabbit fur slippers, I declined because then he would want rabbit stew and,” Stiles lowered his voice. “I cannot stand the taste of rabbit stew. And since neither of us like to waste anything, well, it’s just better this way. Trust me.” He winked.

Gary tried to school his features but he felt very wrong footed and he could not quite get his bearings. Stiles was not at all like he had pictured him, or been told to picture him.

“If you would follow me, we’ll head to the office, since I assume you’re here for business?” Stiles asked as he turned down the hall, gesturing for Gary to follow him.

“I am.” Gary replied, though he felt odd talking to Stiles’ back. 

The young man hummed as he made his way down the hall, stopping at a doorway on the left and motioning Gary in.

The office was spacious with a large wooden desk off to the left with shelves lining the back wall that were covered in neat rows of books. To the right the wall was floor to ceiling windows, seated in front of which were two burgundy couches facing each other. It was cozy and inviting.

“Have a seat. Do you want something to drink? We’ve got tea and coffee, and some soft drinks though Peter says I should stay away from the fizzy stuff as it has too much sugar to be good for me. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, though. Am I right?” Stiles asked, winking at Gary again.

_“I heard that!”_ Came shouted from somewhere else in the house. It was so unexpected Gary startled.

Stiles laughed, whether at the comment or Gary’s reaction he really could not say, but Stiles quieted down a moment later as he waited for Gary’s reply.

“Oh, um, just some water would be lovely, thanks.” Gary answered as he sat on one of the couches Stiles indicated.

“Water for you, and a coke for me I think.” With that comment, Stiles left the room.

Gary took the time Stiles was gone to really peruse the room - though he did it from the safety of his seat on the couch - and came to the realisation that this was well and truly, a home. 

He had been expecting something less lived in and homey, with dark hallways and the stench of fear permeating everything. It was almost surreal the 180 degree thought change he was being forced to make.

A noise in the hallway had Gary turning to look as Stiles walked back in with a glass in each hand. He walked over and handed the water to Gary before stepping over to the couch opposite and sitting down.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Stiles asked as he relaxed back into the couch.

As Gary watched, Stiles’ entire demeanor changed. Gone was the soft smile and welcoming air; In it’s place there was instead a hardness to Stiles’ eyes and he exuded a quiet menace that made Gary’s skin crawl.

Gary suddenly did not feel so comfortable, or confident, in this seemingly innocuous house.

“First, I would like to present you with this orris root. I hope it maybe of use to you.” Gary said as he pulled up the pouch containing the herb to show Stiles. Stiles merely continued looking at him. “And this tome I brought for you as well, I hope it will make a nice addition to your collection.”

Stiles gestured for Gary to put the gifts onto the side table, which he did with trembling hands.

“Ah, okay. You s-see I’m here because my daughter was kidnapped. My wife is Mother Oak to the forest where we live and my daughter is an oak sprite with the capability to manage her own forest when she gets bigger. The kidnappers don’t want a ransom or anything. They just want her to protect their forest. We’ve tried everything we can to get her back but my wife cannot leave the forest for too long and I am her protector, so I may not leave for long either. And the longer our daughter is gone the more she will wilt away until she is nothing. Young sprites need the nourishment from their mother’s roots to grow up strong and healthy, and if they don’t have that they lose their magic until they are nothing more than a regular sapling in the ground.” Gary finished off, taking a long drink of water to wet his dry mouth.

He waited, and waited for Stiles to say something but the young man just continued to watch him. Gary could feel sweat gathering along his forehead and under his arms, his nerves getting the best of him as his heartbeat sped up.

“And you want us to go get your daughter back.” 

“Please! I have money to pay you, the price is not an issue. We just want our daughter back.” Gary said, leaning forward and pleading with the stone faced young man in front of him.

“Peter.” Stiles called out, not any louder than they were talking.

The famed werewolf appeared at the doorway and he was every bit as fearsome looking as Gary had been lead to believe.

His clothes were normal enough, jeans and a long sleeved henley, but it was his eyes that said it all. His eyes said he would rip you apart and dance in your blood, enjoying every moment of your agony.

Gary shuddered and looked back at Stiles.

“What do you think?” Stiles asked Peter all the while he kept his eyes on Gary.

“Do you know where she is?” Peter asked and Gary forced himself to look back at the wolf as he answered.

“No. We think they’ve taken her across a border line as my wife cannot sense her anywhere.”

Peter turned his attention to Stiles, and the young man finally pulled his attention from Gary to look at the wolf.

“Won’t be hard to find where they’re keeping her.” Peter said.

Stiles hummed in agreement. “I imagine not but we’ll have to move quickly.” He looked back at Gary. “How long has she been gone?”

“It’s been three days.”

“Right, well we best be leaving right away. You drove?” Stiles asked. Gary nodded. “Right, we will follow behind you in our car. We’re going to need to do a little recon around your forest so I can get a feel for her magical signature but I reckon I can call up a few contacts to get a head start.” 

Gary felt awkward asking but he had to find out so he could get the money ready. “And the price?”

Peter stepped fully into the room with a grin. “They took your baby, Gary. We will be glad to get her back for you free of charge.” 

There was a darkness to the wolf’s eyes that had Gary’s stomach cramping in fear. Looking over at Stiles, Gary could see the same darkness in the young man’s eyes, a darkness that spoke of remembered pain.

These were the men for the job.


	2. The Phantoms

When Gary had called with the good news, Maria had wept. Her sweet spritling had been missing and the ache of it reached to the very bottom of her roots. 

Then her husband had gone to seek out the Phantoms and it had almost been too much for her. She could bear the pains of her forest better than she could deal with the loss of her daughter _and_ her husband.

Gary had managed to convince the Phantoms to help them out - free of charge too! - and they were due to arrive any moment. Maria had cleaned up their little cabin while she waited. It was an 8 hour car ride and Gary had called just as they were leaving.

She sensed her husband’s presence in the forest long before she heard the sound of his car, along with a second car. She could not contain her excitement to see Gary so she rushed out to meet the cars as they pulled up in front of the house.

Gary was out of his car the moment it was off and they embraced each other fiercely. Maria felt balanced in a way she had not since Gary left. There was still the missing ache of her daughter but she could concentrate now that she had her anchor with her.

She pulled back from Gary, smiling as he kept an arm tightly around her waist, and eyed the gentlemen standing in front of their vehicle. It was a blue Jeep and Maria could not help the funny look she gave it.

The man on the right, _wolf_ the earth told her, chuckled at her as they made their way forward. The pair of them did not fit with the image her mind had supplied her when she thought of the Phantoms but their auras spoke where their appearances did not.

The wolf’s aura was dark, a deep green it was almost black, while the spark’s aura was a deep purple. They carried their power like a second skin, and were it not for the pulsing of the earth around them as they moved, Maria would almost have believed them to be as harmless as they appeared to be.

She stepped forward to greet them, respecting the powerful beings before her, and bowed as she held up her palms. In them were two oak leaves, young but strong, just waiting to be planted so they could grow into strong sentinels for whichever being tended them.

“I offer to you the support of the oak, strong and sturdy, to protect your home.”

The spark stepped forward, his aura speaking his delight at the offered gifts and he reverently took both leaves from her hands.

“We humbly accept your generous gift, and offer in return our promise to bring your daughter home safely.” The young spark responded, bowing.

They both stood up and Maria smiled at the young man, his aura completely vibrant and bright where before it had been dark and roiling. Maria had a hard time reconciling the two. 

“I’m Stiles, and that’s Peter. We just need to explore the forest a bit and then we should be on our way.” Stiles said.

“I’m Maria. You would not wish to rest after such a journey?” Maria asked, the host in her wanting to care for her guests while the mother in her was viciously glad that the Phantoms did not want to waste time.

“Much time has already passed and we wish to return your daughter to you as quickly as possible. Stiles needs to visit your dwelling, Mother Oak, while I need to visit the place your daughter was last before she was taken.” Peter told her, his aura emanating an angry spike when he spoke of her daughter.

“Her name is Laura.” Maria tensed when he words caused the wolf to growl. 

The spark turned to soothe the agitated wolf and Maria wondered what meaning the name held for him. 

“If you two would follow me, I can show you my dwelling, Stiles, while Gary shows you where Laura was last, Peter.” Maria said as she turned to her husband and reached out for his hand.

They walked into the woods and though it was dark, Maria had no trouble navigating. Her connection to the earth steered her true as, it seemed, did the spark’s and the wolf’s. Neither one said anything as they made their way deeper into the forest.

They came upon her tree, a magnificent oak that stood tall and proud near the centre of the forest. She beamed as it smiled down at her and she knew tonight she would connect with it to hear the tales of the day.

She turned to survey the Phantoms and smiled at the look of awe on the young spark’s face.

“This is my dwelling. I welcome you under her branches to be sheltered whenever you are in this forest.” Maria said, adding in a small bow at the end. Young though the spark may be he was powerful and Maria would honour the rituals for such occasions.

“Where moon, and star, and sun align, I bare myself to your roots. Humble as a seedling before my time, this spark lends strength where you lead.” Stiles answered, the ritual words tweaked uniquely for him, and bowed in turn.

Maria felt herself relaxing for the first time since she had noticed Laura missing. The young spark exuded power and he was so calm, the wolf equally powerful though there was still an undercurrent of restlessness to him. 

“Gary will take you to the clearing not far from here where Laura was last, Peter.” Maria said, smiling at her husband. “Stiles, if you would meditate with me?” She gestured for Stiles to take a seat between one of her roots where a natural platform was while she melded with her oak.

As one of the Olds, as oaks were called in some circles, Maria had a very deep connection to the Earth. It spoke to her in ways lost to almost all.

To see the young spark meld perfectly with the Earth eased her fears as nothing else could have. Here was someone who knew what it was to have a relationship with the very being who sustained life, and would know exactly what her daughter would need upon rescuing her. 

Maria felt Stiles probe along her outer roots, seeking permission to merge with her, and she opened herself gladly. She would have no secrets from one such as him, especially when she knew that the more knowledge Stiles had the faster he would be able to get to Laura.

Maria made sure to hold herself back as the young spark explored her oak all the way to the roots. She watched as Stiles picked up Laura’s unique marker and expanded it, memorizing the nuances that were solely hers.

It was not something Maria had ever seen done by someone outside of the Olds, she was awed. 

Maria, as she knew Stiles was doing as well, kept track of Gary and Peter. Peter had shifted and was racing through the trees after a trail only he could deduce while Gary sat in the clearing where the wolf had left him.

Her husband was calm on the outside while inwardly he was distraught. Maria focused and pushed, watching the earth rumbled under Gary. Her husband breathed out deeply and laid himself down, smiling as the wolf ran back to him and woofed.

The wolf had the scent. 

Maria turned to look at the spark, his eyes were shining a deep gold. Stiles grinned at her, and though Maria felt nothing but peace from him she knew that any who stood in the young man’s way would perish.

These were the men they had been hoping for.


	3. Are Sometimes

It was all her fault that she had been snatched. She had not listened to her Mama and now she was stuck so far away from her homeland with two people who wanted to steal her powers from her.

Laura knew that the moment she rooted they would harden the soil so she could not pull out. Her Mama had warned her against people such as these.

She would stay strong. She absolutely would. No matter how they threatened her, Laura refused to meld with her oak.

She was getting so tired though. It had been days since she had communed with the Earth, and it was getting harder to ignore the ache in her chest; how thirsty her roots seemed no matter how much water her captors let her drink. 

She missed her Mama and Papa, crying for them when her kidnappers were not looking. She had to look strong in front of them.

“No one is coming for you.”

They told her with nasty smiles on their faces. She hated it.

They were lying to her though, or maybe they just did not know. Laura had guessed yesterday that her two kidnappers did not know how to commune with the Earth otherwise they would have heard the whispers.

Whispers of a wolf and a star - Laura did not think it was an actual star but she was still learning to interpret the signs - coming closer and closer. She wondered if it was the wolf and the spark from the legends her Mama had told her of.

Two beings who kept the supernatural in line, enforcing justice on all the bad guys. 

The Phantoms, as her Mama called them, were Laura’s heroes. She used to dream about protecting them in her forest, using her strong branches when she grew up to stop arrows and to shield them from rain.

Her favourite dreams were when they became best friends.

She froze as her kidnappers came closer to her. They had never hit her but her Papa had warned her that people sometimes wore friendly smiles when they were evil inside.

“Come now Laura, don’t look at us like that. We’re all going to be really good friends one day.” The woman, Shae, said to her.

Shae was a lying liar who lied.

The man, Ukul, was the one to grab her arm and pull her up from where she was sitting on the ground. “Come on, it’s time for us to take a walk about the forest. You have to start learning your forest now so that when you root you will know every creature and sapling that dwells here.”

Laura hated this part most of all. For the last three days, Shae and Ukul had forced her to walk with them through the forest and she was forced to see all the other captured sprites, nymphs, brownies, and countless other creatures she had no name for.

It made tears spring to her eyes and a lump clog her throat.

“No! I’m not going! _I hate you!_ ” Laura shouted at them as she yanked her arm out of Ukul’s grasp.

took off running, using the Earth to clear her path as she tried to get as far away as she could. She could hear her captors giving chase, trying not to panic any more as she raced around trees and jumped over streams.

Laura took the risk of glancing back and laughed when she saw how far back Shae and Ukul were. She turned her head back around and stuttered, tripping over her own feet as she saw their golem. Laura had completely forgotten about it.

The golem was a big stone monster that did everything Shae and Ukul told it to do, including forcefully holding Laura still the first day she had been captured. 

She had not seen it since that day but Laura still should not have forgot it.

Her hands and knees were stinging where she had skidded along the ground but Laura still tried to crawl away. She did not want the golem to get her anymore than she wanted Shae and Ukul to catch her.

Luck was not on her side though when she crawled right back into Shae’s legs. 

Laura burst into tears.

In her haste to escape Laura had ignored the signs the forest was trying to tell her, it was only as a the sprite nearest her shook the bush it was hidden in that Laura stopped crying to look at it. The sprite stopped shaking the bush when it noticed it had Laura’s attention and pointed at it’s ears.

Laura understood. She closed her eyes and listened.

The forest was strangely quiet for such a bright and sunny afternoon. Laura opened her eyes, and aside from the sprite, she noticed that all the creatures nearest her were rather calm.

The presence of the golem should have had them all shaking in fear but they were not.

Laura took a deep breath and concentrated, letting her mind search out the Earth only slightly. She did not have to meditate far to find her answer.

The Earth sang joyous greetings to two very powerful beings who had just entered the forest. 

Laura cringed back from the Earth, not wanting to let those powerful ones know she was watching them, only she paused just before she fully pulled herself away. The beings exuded power, yes, but they felt _good_ to her.

It was not something she would have been able to describe but the same calm that had taken over the forest settled on her shoulders.

_Hello._ She sent the thought out, wondering if either one of the newcomers would be able to talk to her this way.

**Hi!**

Laura felt compelled to tell them exactly where she was. She could not do that in words but she took the impression of the Earth around her and sent it back.

**We are coming for you.** They seemed to say.

In the next moment Laura felt as if she was being wrapped up in a hug. It held notes of Mama and Papa, and Laura could not help the happy tears that she cried.

It seemed as if the Phantoms, her heroes, had come to rescue her.


	4. Very

Grabbing the girl had been easier than Shae and Ukul had planned for; getting her to root was definitely proving to be the issue. She had all the best soil, the most sought after clearing in the entire forest, and optimal sun coverage.

Yet, she continuously refused to reach deep into herself for her seedling and plant it.

This was the third time they had had to chase her in as many days, and they were fed up.

“I swear we should just knock her out and get that witch to forcefully root her. This has taken too long.” Ukul complained as they jogged after the girl.

“I told you she was too old. We should have continued searching for a younger sapling.” Shae said, smiling as their golem stopped the girl in her tracks.

“Oh my god, do not start on the ‘ _I told you so_ ’ rant, _again_.” Ukul glared at her as they slowed to a walk. “I have already explained to you that there were no other Olds out there with a sapling as young as Maria Oak. _You know this_.”

Shae sighed, grunting in agreement. She still would have rathered they kept looking. 

Laura was resilient in a way they had not counted on. Even though she had to be in some pain, having cut herself off from melding with the Earth, she kept fighting them. Running away was just another one of her little rebellions. 

“We’re getting the witch to spell us a controlling charm anyway so stop fretting about it. Only a handful more days for the charm to be ready, and if she hasn’t rooted by then, then we use our backup plan.” Ukul said as he stepped up behind Laura who was currently trying to backpedal away from their golem.

Ukul laughed as Laura backed into his legs, her wide eyes showing dismay and fear. Perhaps they should have kept the golem around the girl and used her fear of it to get her to root, but that was neither here nor there. Ukul was right, their charm would be ready soon and they could afford to wait a few more days.

It was not like Gary and Maria were coming after them. 

Shae had paid a great deal of money for a misdirection spell which to lead the Oaks on a wild goose chase, and thus far the Oaks had not succeeded in locating them. They had nothing to worry about.

“The Phantoms are coming.”

Shae tensed at those words, looking down at the child no longer cowering at their feet. Laura sat calmly, completely at ease with her situation, even smiling at her captors.

“Nice try.” Ukul said, scoffing as he bent down to haul Laura to her feet. “We have wards up, and spies everywhere. We would have had news of their travels if they were making their way over here.”

“It’s the Phantoms, you cannot ward against them.” Laura said as they dragged her back to the clearing. “They are the most powerful beings in the entire world.”

“You--you shut up!” Shae yelled at the girl.

_No way the Oaks managed to get the spark and the wolf involved, no way_. Shae thought, twitching at every sound as they walked. _The Oaks are nobodies, really, why would the Phantoms even deign to get involved? It’s not like the Oaks could afford it_. From what Shae knew, hiring the Phantoms - if they agreed to take on the task asked of them - was so exorbitant that only the most desperate of people sought them out.

Ukul tossed Laura to the ground, taking the time to tie her up so she would not be able to run again, and turned to Shae. Shae would never accuse her partner of being afraid but the look he sent her said he was worried.

They stepped off to the side, well enough away that Laura would not be able to hear them but close enough that they could still keep an eye on her with their golem standing sentinel beside her.

“You don’t think?” Shae asked, not quite willing to finish the thought for fear of making it real.

“No, that would just be, no.” Ukul said, shaking his head as if to negate the very thought of it.

Shae turned her eyes to Laura, watched as the young sapling relaxed and how at ease she now appeared. “How would, I mean, where did that come from then?”

“She’s a kid. Every kid turns to their heroes when they get scared. Her parents probably told her about them and she’s just latched onto the fairytale idea of them.” Ukul said, so much conviction in his voice that Shae felt the tension easing out of her shoulder.

“You’re right.” She laughed. “Shit, for a second there I actually believed it.”

“Me too!” Ukul chuckled.

“Me three!”

Shae and Ukul whipped their heads around at the new voice and froze.

“Does that mean I’m supposed to say, ‘me four’? Because it ain’t happening. I would never agree with the likes of them.”

They stared at the two newcomers, fear keeping them immobilized. Beside their golem - who should have alerted them - stood a young man with eyes shining like pure amber and man with a nasty smile. 

The Phantoms.

“Whatever they are paying you, we will double it!” Ukul broke first, his voice pleading.

No way they wanted to face the Phantoms.

The young man, the spark, full on laughed. The sound was like rocks rubbing against each other and it set Shae’s teeth on edge. 

“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves before we get to negotiating.” The old man, the wolf, said as he stepped in front of Laura. “I’m Peter, you might have heard of me. Alpha wolf, sexy, powerful.”

“Oh my god Peter, you’re such a dink.” The young man said as he bent to untie Laura. “I’m Stiles, and I like long walks through the woods and rescuing fair maidens.” He said to Laura who giggled.

“I’m Laura.” 

“Hi sweetling. Are you hurting anywhere?” Stiles asked as he picked up Laura and settled her onto his hip.

Shae and Ukul could only watch the scene unfold.

“M-my chest.” Laura said as she rubbed at her chest. “I feel like someone took my heart away.” She gasped as big tears sprang up in her eyes and she started crying.

Stiles held her tight to his body, rubbing Laura’s back as he whispered things into her ear, before he turned his head to Peter. Not a word was spoken aloud but it was not hard to tell that Stiles and Peter were communicating. Peter nodded and stepped towards Shae and Ukul.

“Hey now!” Shae started, bringing her hands up in front of her. “What about negotiating?”

Peter barked out a laugh and she could tell it was the wolf who was most in control in that moment.

“Negotiate? With the likes of you?” Peter continued walking towards them. “You, who steal children from their homes and try to force them to do your bidding? You, who would take a sapling Oak from her home just so she could save your pathetic forest from dying? You, who could have gone through honest means to save this place but decided that thievery and fear would be easier? Did you ever think of why your forest is dying?”

Shae felt her anger rising as Peter continued talking, talking about things that he really knew nothing about. Did he really believe they had not tried everything in their power to save their forest before they resorted to taking Laura?

She flicked her fingers, motioning for their golem to grab the girl and get away. As long as their golem had the girl they could fight their way out. They had their own tricks up their sleeves.

Only the golem did not move.

“You think I would have walked in here without being absolutely certain that I controlled everything?” Stiles asked.

Shae flicked her eyes over to the spark and felt her heart stop. Stiles had Laura cradled in close to his body, her head turned away and tucked underneath her chin but that was not what had fear bumps racing along her arms and down her spine. It was his eyes.

They blazed like the sun and nothing but pure hate shone through.

“We know what you did.” He said, the words filling the clearing. “You burned down the last Old who lived here, the great Pine. All because she would not listen to you.”

His words were like a lance thrown straight at their eardrums causing Shae and Ukul to grab at their heads in agony. 

“She would not listen to you because you are vile trolls who were poisoning the Earth. You thought killing her would solve all your problems but how wrong were you then when your forest started dying?”

“I bet you had no idea we’ve actually been tracking what’s been going on here for quite some months.” Peter stepped in, grabbing their attention. “Not very subtle at all, are you. Stealing children from their homes and forcing them here in the hopes of healing your forest. That many children go missing and it’s bound to cause ripples. Ripples that found their way to our doorstep.”

Shae and Ukul were helpless as Peter continued towards them, his claws coming out.

“Then you go and take Laura.” Peter said, eyes flaring blood red. It had the trolls trembling even more. “Sweet Laura who has the power to ground all the other children you kidnapped, who would have felt compelled to heal the Earth and this forest the moment she rooted. Isn’t that right?”

Peter was a step away from them when Laura spoke up.

“Stiles?” 

“Yes sweetling?” Stiles asked as he turned to look at her upturned face.

The trolls felt like they could breathe now that that gaze was no longer upon them.

“I want to go home.” Laura said as her tears started up again.

“Of course! We’re going to take you home to your Mama and Papa but we have to drive home and that’s going to take a bit.” Stiles explained to her.

Shae and Ukul wondered why he even bothered. They glared at the sapling as she hiccuped. Children were so emotional.

“I know, I know. But guess what? I have some hot chocolate in the car and gummie bears!” Stiles said as he turned with Laura in his arms and made his way out of the clearing. 

“Hot chocolate is my favourite!” Laura said, her voice lilting in a happy way.

“You can’t just take her away! She’s ours. We took her!” Ukul started screaming after Stiles, getting to his feet to run after the pair.

Shae could not even warn Ukul, who seemed to have forgotten completely the threat standing before them, before it was too late. Her partner ran right into Peter’s claws, screaming in denial as he tried to retaliate. 

Shae watched, dumbfounded, as Ukul did not land even a single blow. They were trolls, known for their strength and yet Ukul seemed as weak as a babe next to the wolf. Ukul roared his frustration, foaming at the mouth as he went into a rage.

It was no use. Ukul had decided his fate the moment he tried to go after the spark and the sapling.

Shae would not be so stupid.

She pushed to her feet and ran in the opposite direction, using the distraction Ukul had created to get away. Trolls were not known for being nimble footed but this was Shae’s forest, she knew how to navigate it.

She jumped over logs and stepped on flowers as she ran towards her cave. It was located on the edges of the forest but Shae and Ukul had been forced to move into the forest itself when the land around their cave had turned brown and the animals started moving farther and farther away.

They had had to resort to eating stupid humans who had stumbled too close and they just were not tasty. The stupid humans, their bones poisoning the ground because the Earth deemed their deaths _wrong_.

Shae let out a roar of frustration. 

“You know, you’re already quite loud. If you were trying to make your escape, screaming your location is not the way you want to go.”

Shae whirled around, sliding to a stop and spotting the wolf. She bared her teeth, letting her true form come to the surface.

“Then again, trolls have not been known for their smarts.” The wolf smirked. “I’ll admit, your little tricks up until now showed some promise but in the end, trolls always show their true colours.”

Shae charged, the rage taking over. This wolf, the Phantoms, thought they were so great. They were not! Legends were just exaggerated tales meant to scare.

Well Shae was not scared, not anymore.

The sound of the birds squawking and taking flight was the last sound the creatures in the forest heard before everything went silent.

The wolf and the spark had accomplished their job.


	5. Real

Waiting to hear word from Stiles and Peter was almost as hard as not knowing where Laura was. It was the knowledge that Laura could be home soon that really put Gary and Maria on edge.

Maria was communing with her Oak, on hour 18 of her meditation. Gary wished he could join her but his nerves would not allow him to rest.

Gary paced around the clearing of his wife’s Oak, close enough that he could protect her and yet far enough away that his pacing would not disturb her. Maria’s cool presence flowed under his feet and that was more than enough to keep him grounded, for now.

Though Gary knew all the Legends, used them as bedtime stories for his little girl, it did not stop the doubt from creeping in. 

Stiles had seemed so young, his carefree attitude fracturing the image Gary had had in his head of the spark who wielded untold powers. Stoic had been the word Gary would have used for the young spark before meeting him, and now Gary thought the word that fit him most would be oxymoron.

The wolf, Peter, on the other hand had been exactly as Gary had imagined. All cold, hard edges and completely focused on the task at hand. When Gary had taken him into the woods, the wolf had spoken not a word, merely went about tracking Laura’s scent through the forest with a single minded determinedness that Gary had appreciated.

Gary did not doubt the Phantoms, there were too many a story that spoke of their great feats, but his nerves got the better of him.

Gary bowed his head and spoke to the Earth, begging for his daughter to be brought home safely. 

Perhaps it was because he was communing with the Earth, though Gary would not doubt he would have felt it anyway, that he felt it the moment the Phantoms stepped foot into their forest. A strong sense of calm washed over him, a healing presence so bright he could feel the warmth of it where he was near the centre of the forest.

Here was the spark whom legends spoke of with trembling words. The spark whose power exceeded even the human renditions of Merlin. The spark who had made the ultimate sacrifice to save a city from the demons spewing out of a diseased Nemeton, and been granted rebirth by the Earth itself.

He was the reason the legends had been told, the Phantoms so named, and beside him his protector the magnificent wolf. For now it was clear that the wolf wielded just as much power as the spark, his canine form loping through the trees with a touch as light as snow and silent as the wind. 

Even melded as he was to the Earth, Gary had a hard time tracking the wolf, losing his view only to catch it again as the wolf ran near the spark, and right in the centre of power, his Laura.

Gary cried out as he broke away from the Earth, Maria doing the same only feet away from him, and they ran to get their daughter. They did not have to run far when they came upon the trio, surrounded on all sides by the creatures of the forest as they made their way to Maria’s clearing.

“And you can come play with me in the brook near my house. It’s always warm in the summer time and Papa lets me pretend to be a mermaid! You could be a mermaid too and we could defend our waters from the monsters!” Laura said as she waved her arms around in mock punches as her invisible enemies.

She was held tightly in Stiles’ arms with a big smile on her face as the spark listened to her intently. 

“Only if we don’t let Peter join us, he gets all stinky when he swims in the water in his wolf form.” Stiles winked at her as Peter loped towards them, mock growling. “Oh shoo you big mutt! It took ages to get the smell of wet wolf out of my jeep the last time you decided you just _had_ to take a quick swim in the water!” Stiles laughed.

Laura giggled, baring her teeth at the wolf and growling at him. The wolf smiled back.

If Gary had not seen, and still did feel, the vastness of their powers he would never believe the two beings in front of him capable of the feats they had surely accomplished to get his daughter back. They were laughing as if they had not a care in the world, making sure Laura was calm and happy, walking as if the very Earth itself did not greet them as a mother does her children.

“She’s back!” Maria whispered, almost afraid to believe her eyes.

Gary turned to look at her and the tears in his own eyes mirrored hers. “She is!”

They took the final steps towards their little girl and accepted her gratefully into their arms when Stiles handed her over.

“Mama! Papa!” Laura yelled, laughing as they squished her between them. “After Stiles and Peter defeated the trolls, and oh man Papa you will never believe it! They are better than those stories you always tell me! Anyway, Peter said we could get ice cream and I got to have strawberry ice cream, and I was allowed to eat it in the car! And I didn’t spill any but Stiles did. It was so funny because Peter did his grumbly voice, and said ‘I’m not cleaning it up this time! I cleaned up the blood, you get to clean up the ice cream.’ and it was so funny!” Laura told them, imitating Peter’s voice.

Stiles laughed and rubbed at the back of his head while Peter winced, mouthing sorry. 

Gary shrugged and smiled at them, mouthing thank you. His daughter had most likely seen and heard worse than someone griping about cleaning up blood. They had saved her and he would never forget that.

Laura continued on talking, telling them about how Stiles’ hugs felt like putting on a sweater that had just come out of the dryer and that Peter was big enough that she could ride on his back when in wolf form and it was the _best thing ever_.

“And I invited them for dinner! I told them, I did, that Papa makes the bestest ever meatloaf and I was the best potatoe masher around.” Laura finished with a big grin.

“Oh no, we shouldn’t impose-” Stiles started to say but stopped himself when Laura’s face fell. “But I’m delighted to say that I cannot possibly leave before trying your mashed potatoes, Laura! I’ve heard so much about them that I must absolutely have an entire bowl full!” Stiles said, smiling at her and patting his belly.

“No Stiles! You can’t have a whole bowl! Only two scoops else you won’t have room for Papa’s meatloaf!” Laura sternly told him. “You’re silly.”

Peter barked out a laugh. “He is the silliest!” He said, winking at Laura.

Laura winked back, and from the looks the two men gave her it was clear she had managed to wrap them around her little finger. If anyone could have turned her two superheroes into her new best friends, it would be Gary’s little girl.

“Well we mustn’t disappoint them!” Gary said as he gestured for Stiles and Peter to follow them back to their house. “Mashed potatoes and meatloaf await!”

As they walked as a group back to his home Gary still felt the power of the Phantoms behind him and knew he had made the right decision. Legends though they may have been, Gary could now see them for themselves.

Sometimes ghost stories are just that, and sometimes they aren’t. The Phantoms are sometimes very real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.
> 
> \- M


End file.
